The Last Month of the St. Petersburg Pier

Walking up to the St. Petersburg Pier this week and you'll find men and women casting reels off the pier approach and the pelicans staked outside the Pier Bait House waiting for the next person to feed them. 

Outside of the pier, not much seems out of place ahead of the May 31 closure. Inside, however, signs of the pending closure are very real and are starting to sink for pier tenants. 

Multiple shops inside the pier now have "closing," "moving", or "going out of business sale," signs in the windows ... along with their Stop the Lens signs. 

For pier tenants, the end of the fight to save the pier is not a relief; just a sad ending to a process that they say failed them. 

"At this point, I think I just have to take a break because I’ve been three years at this with VoteOnthePier and Stop the Lens," said Nic Weathersbee owner of the St. Petersburg Candle Gallery inside the pier. "And I’m kind of worn out to be honest."

Susan Robertson, Pier advertising/promotions coordinator, said she'll miss the visitors, pier tenants, co-workers and her, "tiny little office on the third floor with a view of the water."

"I’m actually going to miss all of it. I’m a water person," she said. "Being out here is kind of like being a cruise ship that doesn’t move."

Even though this is the last 30 days of the pier, actives on the pier are not coming to a screeching halt, Robertson said. 

"We're going to have music and events out here every weekend," she said. 

Event highlights include the Memorial Day Weekend Celebration, which will be the last scheduled events on the pier, and the Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest from 6 - 8:30pm, Saturday May 18. (For more detailed event listings, see list below).

Weathersbee said he has looked for other locations to open another candle shop — Beach Drive, Clearwater Beach and Tarpon Springs — but has had little luck finding the perfect location. 

In the meantime he will focus on his gardening business, Urban Microfarms, which he says teaches people how to grow their own food at home. 

Shops like Weathersbee’s are still looking for new homes while others like the Pier Aquarium and the Columbia have found new homes. 

The aquarium is moving to John's Pass. The Secrets of the Sea Aquarium, who made the decision to leave the pier in 2011, will open in Madeira Beach this November. 

Plans for a new Columbia restaurant are in place once the "Lens" pier opens in 2015. The new Cuban restaurant will be located at the base, or hub, of the new pier. 

After the doors close for good May 31 pier tenants have to be out by mid-July as demolition of the inverted pyramid is scheduled to begin in late 2013. 

"It’s not necessarily a relief," Weathersbee said of the fight ending to save the pier. "Because it’s a lot of people losing their jobs, a lot of people losing their businesses. It’s sad really when there is no reason to really close it right now. Keep us going for another three months for summer season."

"Being out there and creating events for people and showcasing the pier, all of that has been fun," Robertson said.  "I think the people who have enjoyed the pier are going to miss the pier.

"It does have an economic impact downtown," Robertson added. "The pier has had an economic impact on downtown for 40 years. When it’s gone, I think it’s going to have a negative impact."

Last Month of Pier Events

• Memorial Day Weekend Celebration
  • Friday, May 24:  Spring/Summer Salsa Celebration - 7 - 11 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 25: Street Performers, Jugglers, face painters, balloon animal artists, "soulRcoaster", pop rock band from 1 - 4 p.m. and the "Black Honkeys" at Jonny Reno's from 8 p.m. to midnight.
  • Sunday, May 26th - Final Music Fest by the Bay - featuring music from the 60's with "Solid Core".
  • Monday, May 27: - Memorial Day - featuring "The Tempests" from 1 - 5 p.m., Grateful Dead Tribute Band from 7 - 10 p.m. Giving Tree Music will provide a Drum Circle from 5 - 7 p.m. The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team will perform two water ski shows: one at noon and the other at 2 p.m. At 9:45 p.m., there will be fireworks over Tampa bay, culminating with confetti cannons over the crowds.

• Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest 
  • The festivities run from noon - 8:30pm, Saturday May 18 on the third floor of the pier and are hosted by LocalShops1 and St. Pete Patch. 
  • Daytime festivities at the Pier begin at noon, and will feature top local artists, water-ski shows, music and other live entertainment.
  • At the Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest, 6 - 8:30 p.m., three of the area's premier bartenders will share their latest creations with an audience of more than 100 guests and celebrity judges.  
• Ultimate Fitness Expo
  • From 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday May 11, the expo will feature a series hourly workouts led by Tae Bo master Billy Blanks, and also featuring weight training, Zumba, wrestling, CrossFit Training and other fitness areas.
  • Frank Sepe of MET-Rx 180, will be conducting two, 45-minute beach workout sessions on stage for all to enjoy.  
  • There will also be demos and mini classes from local fitness providers. Classes will include; marital arts, Adult Zumba, Kids Zumba, Salsa, Belly Dancing, Yoga, Pilates, Crossfit, MetRx, boot camps and more.

For more information on other pier events, click here. 

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